The NBA trade deadline has passed, and for teams towards the bottom of the standings, it’s now time to look forward to the 2026 NBA draft. That is, unless you’re the Pelicans, who, despite being 13-40, have no first-round pick in this year's draft.
In Christopher Kline's latest mock draft for Fansided, the New York Knicks continue to haunt Pelicans fans following Thursday’s trade, in which they acquired Jose Alvarado. In this mock, the Knicks land Michigan center Morez Johnson Jr., 25th overall, who would be a perfect long-term fit next to rookie big Derik Queen in the Pels frontcourt.
Johnson is a gritty, tough, hustle-first big man who pairs a combination of elite rim protection and dirty work. He plays a very similar style to Isaiah Stewart and is extremely NBA-ready. So, for Pelicans fans, seeing him end up with the Knicks would just be another gut punch after they already stole the heart and soul of the team at the deadline.
Another reminder of what the Pelicans are missing up front
This is another prime example of why the Pelicans are in dire need of a first-round pick in this year's class. After not being very active at this year's trade deadline, the Pelicans will have to find other ways this offseason to address roster needs. And no roster need is bigger than rebounding.
The Pelicans are allowing the fifth-most offensive rebounds per game this season, and a major reason for that is that the team is starting a 6’9 center and a 6’6 power forward. Both Queen and Zion Williamson share a ton of the same defensive and rebounding deficiencies, and when paired with their size, it’s become very problematic.
A player like Johnson would be an immediate upgrade in size, rebounding, and defensively. This season at Michigan, he’s averaging 12.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per 40 minutes.
Johnson also just plays with an incredible attitude and is the ultimate winner. Every single game, he is playing a different role and just contributing to whatever he can to see Michigan win. This season, he’s had four 20+ point games, including an incredible performance against Southern California, where he dropped 29 points on 83 percent shooting from the field. But he’s also had games where all he’s had to do is be a force at rim defense and rebound the ball, recording seven games with two or more blocks and three games with 12-plus rebounds, including one 16-rebound performance.
It’s also important to note that his 16 rebound performance came against Washington and their freshman big man Hannes Steinbach, who is viewed by many as this class's best rebounder.
Unless the Pelicans decide to get aggressive this summer and acquire future draft picks, they will continue to miss out on opportunities. Ideal fits will come and go, roster flaws will remain unaddressed, and Pelicans fans will be left watching teams like the Knicks draft solutions to problems New Orleans continues to struggle to fix.